Fred Upton

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Reclaiming my time, I appreciate the gentlelady's interest on this, and I share her concern. I would note, and I know that I would also speak for my colleague, Chairman Shuster, as we did write then-chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Dave Camp, back in 2012, May 21, I sent a letter to the Ways and Means chair encouraging that this exemption be--loophole--be fixed. As you know, meaningful tax reform did not emerge from the last Congress. I remain absolutely committed to resolving this, as I know Bill Shuster has said so on the Record. Besides that though, it has been years that we have been debating this, and we finally have a bill out of the Senate. They took a whole month on the other side. They considered lots of amendments. They adopted three. We are accepting those three amendments when this bill passes today, as we did not go to conference. As we know, this is a jurisdictional issue, that neither our committee nor Transportation has jurisdiction over tax issues. That is why we were not able to include that provision here, and that is, frankly, why the Senate was not able to adopt it on the Senate side either, because it would have been a blue slip issue. We view this on our side as a procedural issue. We don't want to send it back to the Senate. Who knows when we are going to get it back after the last month that they had. I would urge my colleagues on our side to vote ``no'' on this procedural vote. To the folks on your side that are voting, just know that we remain committed to closing this loophole. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I might just start off by asking my dear friend from California a quick question: If this motion was adopted, would she be voting for the bill? Yes or no. I yield to the gentlewoman.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the gentlewoman's motion.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time is remaining on both sides?

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of a point of order.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I am not aware that we have any further speakers. I am willing to close, if the gentleman goes first.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. The U.S. is now a global energy superpower, and with that power, we have a chance to do some real good. Saying ``yes'' to energy is good for workers here at home and is good for global allies. I thank Representative Bill Johnson for his leadership on this issue, and I would hope that everybody would support this bipartisan piece of legislation.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, they say that you can't have too much of a good thing, but with our impressive natural gas production, that is exactly what we have today. We now have so much natural gas that we cannot only meet our own energy needs and still have extra to sell, but our natural gas boom can be used as a force for good here at home as a source for jobs and across the globe as a source of stable energy. There is no question that the whole shale revolution helped break the fever of the Great Recession. Thanks to innovation and technological advancement, energy production remained a welcome bright spot in our national economy, but we aren't out of the woods yet. We all know that. Millions of folks, certainly in Michigan and across the country, still find themselves unemployed, underemployed, or facing stagnant paychecks. This bill, this legislation, will help accelerate their return to full employment. At the request of the Department of Energy, NERA Economic Consulting evaluated the economic impacts of U.S. LNG exports. The NERA study showed a net positive impact to the United States economy and estimated that LNG exports would actually reduce the average number of unemployed workers by as much as 45,000 people by 2018. We will also see tens of thousands of additional jobs created in the supply chain. I am talking about good-paying jobs that will help families achieve a better life. The bill will also advance our foreign policy goals. U.S. LNG exports can provide our allies with a secure and affordable supply of energy and can reduce the influence of hostile exporting nations like Russia, which continues to threaten Ukraine and, really, all of Europe's natural gas supply. Passing this bill will send the welcome signal to our allies in Eastern Europe that, yes, an alternative source of energy is on its way. The domestic and geopolitical benefits make increasing U.S. LNG exports a win-win, but the Department of Energy continues to hold up the process. Since 2010, the DOE has only issued a final decision on five applications to export LNG to countries with which we don't share a free trade agreement. This bill would help jump-start approvals so that we can start creating jobs and sending our surplus gas to those countries that need it the most. It would give the DOE 30 days to issue a decision following the completion of the environmental review.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 398, the Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015, introduced by Energy and Commerce Committee member Renee Ellmers of North Carolina. I wish this bill and others related to trafficking today were not necessary. But the sad reality is that according to the U.S. Department of Justice, human trafficking is the second fastest growing criminal industry--just behind drug trafficking. Adding to the urgency is that approximately half of all victims are children. It makes you sick. Human trafficking is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Too often, this is a crime that goes unnoticed and it is one that is not well understood. It is simply too hard to imagine that a crime this horrendous could be happening right here on American soil, let alone in your own backyard. But it is. Not only does human trafficking occur in the United States, it is a lucrative business with billions of dollars in profits. It continues because victims are not easily identified and they are afraid. It happens in our own communities, because we are unaware. Today, we stand up and say no more. In order for victims of trafficking to break free, they need help. Health care professionals are one of the few groups to interact with trafficked women and girls and can be one source of help as twenty- eight percent of trafficked women sought treatment from a health care professional while being held captive. Recent studies show that health care professionals are well positioned to be first responders if they have the training and skills to identify and help victims. The Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act would provide for the development of evidence-based best practices to help health care providers to identify and assist victims of human trafficking. The bill requires HHS to award a grant to a medical or nursing school to develop best practices for medical personnel. These best practices will be tested in a pilot program conducted at Community Health Centers (CHCs) in each of the 10 administrative regions. The results of the pilot will be shared with the medical community for their consideration. This bill offers us an important opportunity to work with the medical community to improve awareness and ensure that human trafficking education and practice becomes a part of basic health care training. I thank Rep. Ellmers for her hard work this important piece of legislation and urge its passage.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to natural gas production, we are number one. What was once a pipe dream is now a global reality, thanks to American ingenuity and technology. An impressive accomplishment, especially considering where we were only a decade ago--fearful of running out of supplies. With this new wealth of natural gas, folks in Michigan and across the country should no longer worry about access to affordable energy. But budget-busting power bills are still hitting too many Americans. The New York Times recently reported that customers in New England could expect electricity rates to spike close to 40 percent higher this winter. Why? Well, we may have fixed our supply problems, but now we have a serious distribution problem. Our archaic energy infrastructure and outdated regulatory system is blocking American consumers from reaping the benefits of our energy abundance. We have the gas, but we don't have the pipelines to get cheap energy directly to families and businesses that need it most. This legislation seeks to fix the problem, inserting accountability into the permitting process for natural gas pipelines and establishing firm deadlines for agency reviews. It does not exempt any environmental laws. It just makes sure pipeline projects get sited and built without unnecessary delay. Last night, the President here made the case for more Federal funding of transportation infrastructure projects like roads and bridges as one way to create jobs while modernizing our economy. But the energy infrastructure projects unleashed by this pipeline bill are every bit as necessary, with all of the economic benefits, and the best part is, since they will be paid for by the private sector, it won't cost taxpayers a dime. We voted on this legislation last Congress, and it passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. With the President's comments last night about wanting to work with Congress, I hope the President can join us in supporting this bipartisan, commonsense energy and jobs solution. Now that we are the leader in energy production, there is no reason America shouldn't be number one in energy affordability as well.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the motion to recommit, and I would just say to all my colleagues: our side certainly views that as a procedural issue, not as a real amendment. I would say that in the markup that we had on this bill in earlier years, I pledged to work with Mrs. Capps on our committee to find a solution that would be fair to the bill. I support the concept of what the gentleman is doing, and in fact, I sent a letter in 2012 to the then-chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Dave Camp, asking for help on this, and we were hoping that we would see comprehensive tax reform, and this would have been included as part of that. But that did not happen. We didn't get tax reform. So as this bill comes forward, a review does have to be made in terms of how to treat crude oil derived from oil sands for the purposes of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. But I have to say that really is a Ways and Means issue, now a Transportation issue, not an Energy and Commerce issue. I know that this issue is going to be raised in the Senate with an amendment probably in the next week. I would just say to the gentleman and those that support this idea, I look forward to working with our Senate colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, as well as Republicans and Democrats in this body to, in fact, address this situation that does need to happen. But as a motion to recommit, we shouldn't do it now. So let my Democrat friends vote ``yes.'' I would urge my Republicans on this side to vote ``no.'' I just want to give them the assurance that, in fact, as this bill moves into the conference, as what I expect to happen, that I certainly intend to see an understanding go forward.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, do you like cheap oil? Most Americans would say ``yes,'' and a number of us have strongly pursued a North American energy independence plan for years, and our friend, Canada, is a big part of that. In August of 2009, President Obama signed off on a new pipeline called the Alberta Clipper. Guess what? It brings 400,000 barrels of oil a day from western Canada to the United States. We have been waiting for the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline for years--over 6 in fact. I remember well when President Obama promised to do whatever it takes to create American jobs. That was followed by a so-called year of action; yet here we are, 6 years later, and nothing has happened. By the administration's own estimates, tens of thousands of jobs will be supported by this landmark project. Bringing oil from Canada to the U.S. displaces imports from Venezuela and the Middle East. Isn't that a good thing? I also note that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signaled that she was inclined to support the project, and that was way back in 2010. In fact, in the summer of 2011, the White House issued its first veto threat against congressional action on the Keystone XL, claiming that legislation was unnecessary because their process was working and a decision would be reached by the end of that year. Since then, we have upgraded new oil and gas pipeline standards, and Keystone will exceed those, Mr. President, as it should. We used to be a nation of big ideas and big dreams. We imagined building the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge and accomplished both in far less time than it has taken the President to muster the courage to simply say ``yes'' or ``no.'' We can do better. The election, Mr. President, is over. There has been broad, bipartisan support for this project from the very first day. The President has been hiding behind the Nebraska court case to block the critical jobs project called Keystone XL, and with that contrived roadblock cleared, the White House is now out of excuses. Vote ``yes.''

Mr. UPTON. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the chairman of the Transportation Committee.

Mr. UPTON. Reclaiming my time, we understand that this will not be part of a comprehensive tax reform bill. We need to act earlier than that. With the Senate now passing a bill, in all likelihood next week, likely with an amendment addressing this situation, we can deal with it as part of that conference report, and I look forward to supporting that and the inclusion of such in the final package. I would again urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the procedural motion to recommit so that we can get to final passage. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my point of order and seek time in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon in strong support of H.R. 5185, the EARLY Act. This very important bipartisan bill would reauthorize education and outreach programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created to highlight the breast cancer risks facing young women. Breast cancer, as we know, is an issue that hits close to home for many Americans. While most breast cancers are found in women who are over 50 years old or older, about 11 percent of all new cases of breast cancer in the U.S. are found in women 45 and younger. And while diagnosis and treatment are difficult for women of any age, young survivors often find it even more challenging. This bill would reauthorize the important programs created in the EARLY Act, first passed to increase an understanding of breast cancer among young women by conducting prevention research and a campaign to raise awareness among the public and medical providers about early cases of breast cancer. This bill continues to improve the health and quality of life of young breast cancer survivors and young women who are at a higher risk of getting the disease. I want to particularly thank the two authors of the bill, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, herself a breast cancer survivor, and Energy and Commerce Committee member Renee Ellmers, who is managing the bill this afternoon. I am so proud to support this effort. The prevention, treatment, and ultimately curing of diseases requires an all-hands-on-deck effort to not only educate but also innovate on new cures and treatments. Early this year, the Energy and Commerce Committee embarked on the 21st Century Cures initiative with a goal of finding cures and treatments for thousands without one, including this terrible disease. Sadly, we have all been touched in some manner by cancer or some other disease, whether it is a personal diagnosis or a courageous fight by a loved one. We have been encouraged and humbled by the support that we have seen for this initiative, but also understand that there is a great deal of work ahead. We look forward to meeting that challenge, and this bill helps us. I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Again, I particularly want to commend the two gentleladies who will be speaking here this afternoon and urge all my colleagues to vote for it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Thank you, Mr. Rush. I will try to be brief. I do want to put a statement in the Record from Mr. Camp who was here a little while ago and wanted to speak. I just want to say, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Chairman is what we still call him. I have known him since 1977 when I came here as a staffer, and I have got to say that he treated me just as well as a staffer, which was great, as he has as a colleague and now, for me, as chairman of the committee. We are the best of friends. We really are. There have been a lot of different issues that we have worked on, and he took me under his wing a lot of years ago, and we discovered too that, for me, it is better to have Dingell on our side than to be on a different side, but when he is on the other side, he is certainly a powerful adversary. Our delegation in Michigan is pretty close. We are involved in so many different issues, jobs and the economy, particularly the auto sector is one of the things where John Dingell has really led and cared about. As we know, he is the longest-serving Member of Congress ever in the history of this institution. He is cared about so well. I can remember bringing over Congressional Records from years past and, as Joe Barton said, he served with some 2,500 Members here, actually going through the vote Journal on some of the big issues of the day, the Voting Rights Act and others, and actually talking about some of the Members and what they said on that particular day. He was a fair chairman, always went by the rules, had a command of the issues, a brilliant staff, and their loyalty still exists today. Of course, the light of his life, the lovely Deborah, a great person who we know is going to be taking his place, serving those 700,000 people from southeast Michigan in the next Congress. If you look back at his life, he has served his country from the first day through today, a World War II vet, something that he has always been so, so proud of, chairman of the most powerful committee here in the House. In addition to all that, he has been a friend, a father, a husband, and a colleague whose word has always been his bond and who has defined the very utmost of what we would like this place to be. He is a great American. Thank you, John Dingell.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I would just say that Ralph Hall is an amazing man. I served with him on the Energy and Commerce Committee a lot of years. I had the luxury of sitting next to him. We have a lot of great stories, that is for sure. I can remember when he came back to the Science Committee, and we said that we had yet another Texan. He said, ``When I'm done, you'll wish that you had another 10 or 12.''

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Chair, America is on the verge of becoming an energy superpower. Not only do we possess more energy than any other country, but we are capable of using that energy to accomplish great things. Perhaps most important of all to manufacturing states like Michigan, we can use our energy advantage to reverse the gradual decline in American manufacturing that has been going on for decades and create a real resurgence in the years ahead. The Promoting New Manufacturing Act will help us achieve that goal and continues our efforts to build the Architecture of Abundance. The U.S. has all the ingredients to strengthen our domestic manufacturing dominance. We have the affordable energy supply to run our factories, especially our growing abundance of natural gas. We have private investors willing to invest billions of dollars on new projects in America. We have a workforce that is second to none but many of whom need jobs. And we have the technical knowledge to build manufacturing facilities that are the cleanest and most efficient in the world. All we need is a regulatory process that will allow it to happen. We all know about Keystone XL, which despite our best efforts, is still caught up in red tape. I wish I could say that bureaucratic nightmare is an isolated incident, but sadly, it isn't. Potential future manufacturing facilities face a similar regulatory maze that can delay projects for years on end or stop them outright. We want to be a world leader in manufacturing, not in red tape. I am glad the President identified the potential of new American manufacturing in his State of the Union address, and acknowledged that there is red tape that needs to be cleared away. Passage of H.R. 4795 will help make this goal a reality. The Promoting New Manufacturing Act is a good starting point. We know changes to National Ambient Air Quality Standards are on the horizon, which will ultimately have an impact on how much of this manufacturing renaissance we can actually get permitted into existence. This bill takes some very sensible steps toward a more transparent and timely process for air permits under EPA's New Source Review program. It increases transparency by making more information publicly available on these permit applications, and gives the states and permit applicants the critical information they need to ensure that when it comes to air quality standards, future implementation rules and guidance documents are developed, proposed, and finalized in a timely manner. I hope that we can all agree that the current regulatory process leaves room for improvement. I urge my colleagues to support our pending manufacturing renaissance and to support this constructive legislation.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time remains?

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), the distinguished chairman of the Telecommunications Subcommittee.